Quote: “Just to post a warning to those who come into contact with a Black Widow. About 7 years ago I was bitten by Black Widow that was no bigger than a dime right on my left wrist while draining my automotive shop air tank moisture valves. When I saw what it was and only because I felt a little sting and pulled my arm back and smacked it off my wrist and it hit the ground upside down. For a second I thought, damn I’m in big trouble, then cooler heads prevailed and I figured do to the size that a tiny amount of venom wouldn’t do much, You know the MOCHO manly attitude of it can’t hurt me. Well let me tell you something, after an hour had passed people noticed my color and slurred speech as if I was drunk at 7 in the morning started to take hold. Then another 10 minutes I was doubled over with what I would call the worst stomach cramps that I have ever or thought could have. I went to take a customers car back to them 2 streets down and all I remember is I walked in and went to give the person the keys and then collapsed. I was rushed to the hospital by my friend and persons car I was working on which thank GOD was only about a mile away. Upon arrival, someone had called ahead and to this day I don’t know who and told them to be ready I was on the way. I don’t know what happened when I got there because I was in and out of consciousness and had more tubes put in me than I can remember. I was given 3 or 4 dosages of the anti-venom and stayed an entire week in there until I recovered enough to be sent home. Anyhow the moral of the story is that I played a deadly game with an animal that could have killed me and it almost succeeded because of my stupidity and so called he-man nature. In reality I was brought to my knees and will NEVER take a stupid chance like that again. The MORAL of the story is no matter how small or how bulletproof you think you are YOU/I/ANYONE are no match for one of GOD’s more venomous creatures and don’t let the size of the animal fool you as it did me. The bottom line is we don’t fair to well when bitten and injected with this type of poison and it can and will KILL people if they don’t seek help in time. Plainly put “Don’t be a fool and get your butt to a hospital ASAP!!!!!!!!” Unquote. Unedited.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The diamond rattlesnake in Kentucky looks like a simple rattlesnake, but it is bigger. Studies are trying to determine if this is the result of climate changes. We are talking about an established specie of snakes in United States, but the appearance of this snake in Kentucky raised the curiosity of the specialists, especially because it seems like this specie of rattlesnake has some uncommon characteristics.

The diamond rattlesnake in Kentucky has a length of 3 feet, but the adults can grow larger. As the snake is new in Kentucky, it is impossible to determine its life duration. As for the harmful proprieties of the venom, although this snake releases a bigger quantity with the bite, it has the same harmful effect. It is better to prevent a bite of this kind, as some of the antivenin options are not so effective.

It is rumored that the diamondback rattlesnake was brought to Kentucky by particular breeders to create a new habitat for this snake. As it is on the verge of disappearing, this could be a method to protect this endangered specie. On the other hand, forcing a new breed in a habitat might be dangerous for other animals living in the area, especially when we are talking about an effective predator such as the diamondback rattlesnake.

The diamond rattlesnake in Kentucky is not an aggressive specie, although it would not refuse a fight. The snake usually hides in front of dangers, but sometimes you could find it in a semi-dormant state. This is a dangerous scenario, as the snake will not hear you, so you might step on it accidentally. Moreover, you could also step on it during the night, as the diamondback rattlesnake is capable of seeing any warm blooded being in the dark.

The diamondback rattlesnake prefers the sunny areas and rocks in the vicinity of waters. The unusual movement type with lateral arching (also called sidewinder) is the result of their adaptability to the environment. This kind of movement is also able to mislead the predators, as the traces left on sand are almost impossible to follow.

The diamondback rattlesnake can reach a length of 1.5 meters. Although it is a reptile, this kind of rattlesnake changes its skin several times a year, and the “bell” at the extremity of the tail is formed by thick rings made of skin.

At its birth, the rattlesnake has only two rings. The others are added with each change of skin. When the rattlesnake feels the danger, the tail starts to vibrate, and you should really be careful when you hear this sound. However, the snake can be 20-30 meters away, so you would better start scouting the area. The venom is really dangerous, and the diamondback rattlesnake can kill a cow with a single bite in a few hours.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Ask the average Californian to list the spiders which scare him or her most, the list would probably look something like this;

Tarantula – kind of scary

Tarantulas are well known because some can be as big a single wide trailers and have legs as hairy as a middle-aged, gypsy can-can dancer. They also have fangs which makes them kind of like the Edward Cullens of the insect world. There are found in California. Are they scary? Sure, to some people. If you have a fear of spiders bigger is defiantly scarier and tarantulas are big. But if you know anything about spiders you would know that while they do have poison, they can’t kill you with a bite unless you’re highly allergic to it. For most people, tarantula bites are on par with a bee sting.

Black Widow – really scary

Swimming after eating, texting while driving and black widow spiders are a few of the things your mother will warn you about. They should, because the Black Widow spider is the most poisonous spider in North America and commonly found in California. The good news, only the female packs a poisonous punch. The bad news, can you tell the difference between the male and the female? People rarely die from a Black Widow bite but that does not make your mother a liar.

The Brown Recluse – get me out of here!

Ironically, the Brown Recluse isn’t even a native to California although it is believed that the occasional Brown Recluse spider may hitchhike into the state via a shipment of product from the Midwest. So why are Californians so afraid of the Brown Recluse when there are (virtually) none here and there are (virtually) no confirmed bites from a Loxosceles reclusabut anywhere in the state?

This is partially fueled by the internet. We have all seen the photos of the horrific wounds that can be caused by the Brown Recluse spider bite. They look like something out of a gory science fiction movie with really good special effects. They make the rounds in e-mail and sensationalized internet stories. Also, it seems that everyone in California knows someone or knows of someone who has supposedly been bitten by a Brown Recluse. These all turn out to be bites from other spiders, other insects or really nasty zits but it does make for interesting conversation.

So while the Brown Recluse may scare the pants off of us in California, clearly the myth is much bigger than the reality.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

If you have a brown recluse spider problem, or any spider problem for that matter, please Click Here! I can solve that for you!

Please know that some of these may be graphic and show spider bites in graphic detail. If you have a fear of spiders or gross out easily, you may want to pass on these. Here are the best brown recluse spider videos on youTube.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

photo credited to flickr user Brimac The 2nd

Among snakes there are venomous and nonvenomous types. The venomous snakes are the primary dangers, and the vast majority of them are broken into the elapids and the vipers. Among nonvenomous snakes, the only real dangers are the huge constrictors. Their bites deliver no venom, but can cause infection and the larger constrictors can kill via suffocation.

Among venomous snakes, the most common in the United States are the vipers. The only elapid in the US is the coral snake. The vipers are your rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads. Vipers are noted by having large hypodermic like fangs that are hinged. When the snake strikes outwardly, they then stab the victim and inject venom.

Among the vipers, dry bites are somewhat unusual. It has been estimated that around 20 percent of viper bites are dry. While these figures are far from hard and fast, they give an idea about how you can get bitten by a rattlesnake and have no ill effects. (always assume the snake has injected venom and get medical attention though)

Among the elapids, the dry bites are often much more common. The reason for this is partially because of the fact that many elapids have rear fangs that are much smaller than their viper cousins. They make up for this by having more toxic venom in many cases. Still, the fact that they have more trouble biting cleanly as a group means more dry bites.

Why do snakes deliver dry bites? Some think it is because they are conserving their venom for prey they can actually eat. Some say that it is because their supply may have been just used on a prey item. Some say it is just an accident and the snake did not bite cleanly. The truth? Probably a combination of all of these in some form or fashion.

Even a dry bite can cause medical problems however. All snake bites carry a risk of infection. For this reason, you should get any snake bite checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible. Better safe than sorry, dry bite or not.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Image Credited to Lt Shears/Wikipedia Commons

Common Mussurana – This venomous reptile can be found throughout the bulk of South America, and grows to about 7 feet in length. They are found primarily in forestlands near water, and they are often seen swimming in the river. They are rear fanged snakes that are only mildly venomous. Among venomous pet snakes, this one is a common target for owners.

Lancehead – Commonly called a fer-de-lance, the lancehead is among the most dangerous snakes in the world. Though their venom is not the most powerful in the world by any means, they are around people. Lots of people. This leads to a large number of snakebites, and the bite is a serious enough one to kill. Because of this, the South American population fears this snake. They are great at hiding in camo, and will not hesitate to bite when cornered or bothered. They grow to about five feet long and have long fangs to deliver their venomous bite.

Western Coral Snake – This snake is not often encountered, and is very similar to the species found in the United States. The coral snake is ringed with red, yellow and black down the length of their body, and they have small rear fangs to deliver venom. While the bites are rare, coral snake bites are very serious. A coral snake is a member of the cobra family.

Bushmaster – The longest viper in the world is also the most feared by South Americans and with good reason. The Bushmaster is a very large (9 ft) venomous snake, that is not shy about biting and injecting a deadly venom. The thing about the bushmaster is, that even if you get medical help, you might still pass away from a serious bite. They are also masters at staying hidden, so many people never see them until it is too late. Also, this large snake delivers a large amount of venom to go along with that bite, so it is a very bad thing to get bitten.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Copperhead

Now on with the videos!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

While the python trapper certainly went about it the wrong way, his message of pythons and other dangerous animals being released into the Florida wild is very valid. Every year, people in Florida and other parts of the United States release these animals as they become too difficult to keep as pets. The truth is, they should never have been pets in the first place.

Pythons, for example have been released in the Everglades. These pythons have already reproduced and now number in the estimated tens of thousands. When you consider that larger pythons such as the rock python and reticulated python are capable of killing a full grown man, the danger becomes apparent. That is not the only danger, however. They also eat all of the food in the area and cause the local wildlife to suffer. In extreme cases, they can be wiped out all together.

While his methods were certainly messed up, he certainly had the right message. Do not release these animals into our wild, or else we will have major problems down the road.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Photo Credited to Wikipedia User AllenMcC.

Taipans have been known to literally throw themselves into their bites. They strike with such ferocity that it sometimes appears that they are lunging. When you combine that ferocity with the potent venom that the taipan has, you can quickly see why it has earned the reputation of one of the deadliest snakes in the world.

The taipan is generally about five feet in length and they have a variable coloration. They can be sand colored or even jet black depending on a number of factors. They usually eat small mammals. An interesting note about the taipan is that they became very prolific due to the poison toads that were introduced into Australia. Because many frog eating snakes died when they ingested these toads, the taipan had less competition for habitat and food. Because of this, the taipan is considered common in it’s range of Northern Australia’s coastline.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Copperhead

First of all, I was shocked to see one here in North Carolina so deep into November. I have never seen one outside of the summer months personally, though it is not unusual to hear of them. I was walking down a dirt road that runs alongside my home. There is a slight ditch beside that road, and I was tooling around hoping to find the black snake that I had seen around my home several times over the summer. That is when I came across this copperhead snake, slithering around in the base of the ditch.

The color of the copperhead was a brilliantly bright, almost pink color in the background, with the typical dark hourglass looking bands down the length of the snake. The copperhead was the absolute prototype of the copperhead. Perfectly colored and beautiful.

What was interesting about this copperhead was that it made absolutely no attempt to strike. It did not even curl up into the typical strike pose that pit vipers like the copperhead are known for. This copperhead had absolutely no concern over me or if he did, he certainly did not show it. It simply did everything it could to get away from me with no worries.

After a good fifteen minutes of messing with the copperhead, I finally let it go on it’s way. Figures that my experience could not be documented by camera, as I did not have it with me. By the time I went to the house and came back, the copperhead had made it’s way to where ever it was headed. Still, it was a nice encounter that just shows that copperheads are not the aggressive snake that many say they are.

NEW TURTLE CARE GUIDE AVAILABLE!

If you or someone you know want to raise a baby turtle, then this care guide is an absolute must. You simply must check this out! A great product!! Click Here!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.